Metalcore has had two notable boom periods since its foundations were first laid down in the 90s. As the nu metal explosion died off in the early 2000s, the likes of Killswitch Engage, Avenged Sevenfold, Bleeding Through and Poisonthewell established metalcore as the next major movement in the scene, while Bring Me The Horizon would take it into arenas a decade later, inspiring a whole new generation of bands in the process.
In 2024, metalcore is in the midst of another major resurgence, with British mainstays like BMTH, Architects, While She Sleeps and Bury Tomorrow continuing to evolve and put out top-tier material and young bands across Europe, the US and beyond shaping the sound of metalcore to come. With that in mind, here are ten releases from 2024 so far that prove metalcore is in ruder health than ever.
Imminence - The Black
Showing immense promise across their previous four albums but perhaps guilty of leaning just a little too vigorously into their more obvious influences, Swedish quintet Imminence struck gold with this year's The Black. Flexing their now well-honed songwriting chops while broadening their sound to make the most of those signature orchestral elements, tracks like the pummelling Desolation, visceral Death By A Thousand Cuts and the emotionally devastating title track are proof that this is a band that have reached peak form. A particular shout out to frontman/violinist Eddie Berg, too - surely in the running for the title of best vocalist in metalcore right now.
While She Sleeps - Self Hell
The moment that Sheffield's finest finally collated the myriad influences they have been dabbling with over the last decade, stuck them all in a blender and poured the results into their boldest, most expansive work yet, Self Hell feels like the endgame of everything While She Sleeps have been building towards since they first blew up the metal scene in the early 2010s. Packing elements of heavy metal, punk, alt rock, EDM, hip hop, pop and stadium rock into 45 breathless minutes, Sleeps' sixth album emphatically outlines why they remain one of the most ambitious metalcore bands of their generation.
Alpha Wolf - Half Living Things
Merging snotty, antagonistic hardcore with the grubbier end of nu metal, Alpha Wolf's third album is a relentless barrage of big riffs, even bigger breakdowns and insta-classic mosh calls. A couple of strays into more anthemic territory with Whenever You're Ready and Ambivalence point towards the Aussies' grand ambitions, but for the most part, Half Living Things is pure, thuggish rage and we wouldn't have it any other way. Plus, Ice-T's 'This is Alpha Wolf, motherfucker! You wanna die?!' on Sucks 2 Suck is one of the metal mic drops of 2024.
Infected Rain - Time
It's taken a while for Moldovan mob Infected Rain to emerge from the shadows of their contemporaries, but this year's Time has seen the four-piece expand their sonic palette in new and invigorating ways. Bursts of nu metal, industrial, goth and symphonic metal have added some welcome new layers to Lena et al's propulsive, tech-ish brand of metalcore, leaving their sixth studio full-length as their most comfortably convincing yet.
Kaonashi - The Three Faces Of Beauty...
The first of a three-part conceptual EP series dealing with themes of racism, homophobia and family dynamics, The Three Faces Of Beauty: A Violent Misinterpretation Of Morgan Montgomery is a startlingly emotional and visceral mini-journey with one of modern metalcore's most insightful and creative bands. Frenetic, scything mathcore riffs, some truly dizzying drumwork and the trademark, wretched shrieks of frontman Peter Rono make for a listening experience that is equal parts compelling and deeply uncomfortable.
Darkest Hour - Perpetual Terminal
Darkest Hour have been knocking out their top tier brand of US-by-way-of-Gothenburg metalcore for well over two decades now. Perpetual Terminal is yet more proof of why the D.C. collective are more than worthy of being considered in the same pantheon as Killswitch, Bleeding Through and other heavyweights that rode the American metalcore boom of the early 2000s. Melding together their hallmark blend of fierce melodic death metal riffery with furious breakdowns and big-ass hooks, the album also finishes with one of the band's greatest compositions: the stirring heavy metal epic (and fabulously titled) Goddess Of War, Give Me Something To Die For.
SeeYouSpaceCowboy - Coup De Grâce
Guest spots by Spiritbox's Courney LaPlante and nu gen star Kim Dracula may have grabbed a few headlines, but Coup De Grâce's brilliance is all SeeYouSpaceCowboy's, a fearless, sprawling blend of post-hardcore emotion, metal rage, indie rock exuberance and the kind of pop savviness that will surely carry the San Diego natives to bigger stages than ever. Throw in a newfound sense of life-affirming lyrical urgency from frontwoman Connie Sgarbossa and you have all the trappings of an album of the year contender.
Dream State - Still Dreaming
It's been five years since Dream State's sole full-length album, but they've not been short of new material in recent times. Still Dreaming is the Welsh crew's second EP in as many years, and with six full tracks of their trademark, super-shiny, ultra-catchy style of metalcore to dive into this time out, it's clear the band have plenty left in the tank. The quartet's penchant for huge choruses and big ol' riffs is still present and correct, but on bangers like Day Seeker it's also clear they've polished up the electronic elements of their sound nicely.
Erra - Cure
Six albums in, Erra are practically veterans of the scene at this point, but with this year's Cure the Alabamians have produced their finest work yet. Tech metal riffs clash into bruising breakdowns, all sprinkled with the kind of irresistible choruses that every band in this game wishes they could write, but few fully pull off. Throw in a gorgeous, state of the art production from Daniel Braunstein and you have a record fit to carry Erra to the kind of heights they've spent 15 years working towards.
Boundaries - Death Is Little More
If the sparklier end of metalcore that has dominated the scene for the past decade or so is just that bit too saccharine for your tastes, you almost certainly need the new Boundaries in your life. Don't get us wrong: Death Is Little More is still packing choruses and hooks aplenty, but they're so swamped in bowel-churningly heavy breakdowns and savage metal riffs that you'll probably spend less time at a Boundaries gig singing along as you will sprinting towards/away from whichever pit opens up closest to you (delete as appropriate).
